LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 45 hike as she has for previous hikes, but that's not about to stop her from taking on Mt. Esther. For me, today's hike is a little different than usual. My focus isn't just about climbing Whiteface, or Mt. Esther. I've climbed both on a previous occasion with Dad. And although it's been several years since I've laced up my boots and headed out on the trail, and I need to prove to myself that I can still find my way to the top of an Adirondack peak, today is more about supporting my sisters. I'll serve as our navigator, pro- viding distance and elevation info, and I'll offer words of encouragement. But more than either of those things, I'll simply just be here for Karen and Kathy as their brother. This hike means something a little different to each of us, but also something the same, something that we all feel and we'll likely feel most strongly when we reach our summits. We've climbed mountains in the Adirondacks since we were kids, but we've all suffered the rigors of the aging process and our own set of body issues and ailments. Climbing Adirondack mountains has become more and more challenging as the years have passed. And of course, there are other difficulties that life has thrown at us along the way as well. But we're determined, and we're strengthened by each other's presence as siblings, as family. We've made our final pre-hike preparations and are ready to go. Before we get started, I think back to the first Adirondack peak that the three of us climbed with Dad, Mount Colden: We wear jeans and cotton t-shirts. The technology for wicking ma- terials is decades away. But that doesn't matter because the prom- ise of an adventure, and a pound bag of M&M's are all that we need. We walk through the dense woods, filled with excitement and anticipation. We reach the summit, bare rock, with incredible views all around. It's beautiful and we can see for miles! Algonquin Peak stands big and bold in front of us. We gaze to the left and see something close and a little higher than where we stand. Dad pulls out his map and realizes that what we're looking at is the true top of Mount Colden, and where we sit now, resting and taking in these magnif- icent views, is actually Mount Colton's false summit! The adventure isn't quite done yet. We march on to the true top, then celebrate a second time. This would be one of the first of many adventures and many lessons learned in the Adirondacks. We're rookies and the mountains know it. They welcome us, but at this moment, I imagine they must be laughing at us. We start out on the Whiteface trail at an easy, gradual pace. There's very little flat ground to use as a warmup to ease our hearts and lungs into the steeper sections to come. It's one vertical step after another, like a seemingly endless, rock, root, and leaf covered staircase. We reach an overlook and take a break. As we look down on the ski slopes carved into White- face's eastern slopes, I recall another of the hikes that Dad, Karen, Kathy and I took years ago. It was one of the most exciting of our hikes that I can remember, Mount Skylight: The day starts off clear and sunny. But the clear skies that have started this day out with so much promise, have given way to dark clouds, with the threat of rain, possibly storms. The Adirondack skies make no promises. Anyone who's ever set foot on these trails knows the truth of this all too well. We reach the top. It's entirely socked in, nothing but clouds and a steady rain that pelts our faces with cold, hard drops. We're left to our imagination of what the view might look like on a more fortuitous day. But we have a larger concern. The skies have opened up and are now producing booming thunder and lightning that feels dangerously close. Being at nearly 4,000 feet in eleva- tion is certainly not helping matters! The trail has turned into a river. We'd probably find the going easier if we just dropped to our backsides and let the current carry us back home. This is all part of the experience in the high peaks. You never know what you're going to get. But we know this and we embrace it because we're still in the woods, and we're still together. This is where we want to be. We reach the trail junction, Whiteface straight ahead, Mt. Esther to the right. Karen and I say good- bye and good luck to Kathy as she heads right, towards Mt. Esther. Then we go straight ahead towards White- face. After about a mile, Karen and I come to a clear- ing where we can see the top of Mt. Esther. My mind drifts off to another hike from the past, my 46th peak, Mount Redfield, just Dad and I: Dad and I get an early start from Adirondack Loj. We have many miles to walk today, and we'll need as much daylight as we can get. The hike is long and tough, but we make it to the top. Dad breaks out a bottle of champagne, just like we did years ago on Santanoni Peak, his 46th peak. I stand on a rock at the summit and hold both arms over my head in a triumphant Above: Arms raised on Mt. Redfield, by Dave LeRoy. Opposite: Dad on the sum- mit of Santanoni, by Pete LeRoy

• Cover